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Electricity from cheese? Must be some very special cows!

12 Nov 2015

And very special they are indeed. Exciting new green initiatives from ArtCop21’s partner Good Energy.

Nestled deep within the Mendip Hills in Somerset sits Wyke Farms – the UK’s largest independent cheese maker and the first to be completely self-sufficient in electricity.

The company is family-owned by the Clothier family, who have been making quality cheese in Somerset since 1861. A few years ago they realised that going green was valuable to both their business and the environment.

Investing in greener technology

As a result, they invested £10m in three biodigester vessels which use waste cheese, cow manure and leftover crops (amongst a variety of other things!) to generate 100% renewable electricity.

The digesters generate more than enough power for the needs of the entire site and all of Wyke’s cheese-making operations, and Good Energy buys the excess as part of our diverse renewable fuel mix.

Richard Clothier, Managing Director of Wyke Farms believes the production of sustainable food and energy go hand-in-hand. He said:

“We have found that going green has brought multiple benefits, apart from the obvious one of lowering our electricity bills.”

“We’ve reduced how much waste we produce, improved our green credentials and contributed to Good Energy’s unique fuel mix – all while continuing to make delicious cheeses.”

At Good Energy, we think a diverse fuel mix is an integral part of a 100% renewable future, so we source our electricity from over 1,000 independent generators who supply electricity to the National Grid through wind, solar, hydro and biogeneration technologies.